Tetanus causes
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Tetanus Microchapters |
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Tetanus causes On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Tetanus causes |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Association with rust
Colloquially, tetanus is often associated with rust, especially rusty nails, but this concept is somewhat misleading. Objects that accumulate rust are often found outdoors, or in places that harbor anaerobic bacteria, but the rust itself does not cause tetanus nor does it contain more C. tetani bacteria. The rough surface of rusty metal merely provides a prime habitat for a C. tetani endospore to reside. An endospore is a non-metabolising survival structure that begins to metabolize and cause infection once in an adequate environment. Because C. tetani is an anaerobic bacterium, it, and its endospores, will thrive in an environment that lacks oxygen. Hence, stepping on a nail (rusty or not) may result in a tetanus infection, due to the ideal bacterial breeding ground provided by the low-oxygen environment of a puncture wound.